Steering column assembly units of this type are used in both passenger cars and trucks. The steering column housing is usually designed such that the steering axle proper is surrounded by a steering column jacket, in which the steering axle is accommodated rotatably by means of at least two bearings, e.g., in the form of ball bearings or slide bearings. To fix the steering column jacket at a body-side bracket, the steering column jacket is usually provided with sheet metal sections, which are welded, e.g., to the outside of the steering column jacket. In the steering column assembly units used now, which make possible the adjustment of the steering column in length, tilt and height to the needs of the user of the motor vehicle, so-called plate assemblies, which comprise sheet metal strips connected by spacers, are located on the outside of the sheet metal sections. The plate assemblies at the outside of the steering column housing cooperate with corresponding plate assemblies at the body-side bracket and are compressed in a defined, preselected position by suitable fastening means for locking the steering column.
Even though the usual design of the steering column housing with the steering column jacket and the brackets welded thereto has proved to be definitely meaningful in practice, it does have some drawbacks.
The connection between the steering column jacket and the sheet metal brackets is brought about by welding for safety reasons, which frequently leads to states of internal stress in the housing assembly unit, especially in terms of the satisfactory mounting of the steering axle, and it makes necessary expensive finishing operations, which are due to the warping of the corresponding parts caused by welding.
Furthermore, the following fact can be considered to be a drawback of the prior-art design: All the dimensional tolerances existing within the steering column jacket, the brackets as well as the individual sheet metal strips and spacers of the plate assembly are added up due to the plate assembly being arranged on the outside at the steering column jacket bearings. The steering column frame must therefore often be designed as a two-part frame to compensate the tolerances occurring, which is also associated with impairments in terms of the rigidity of the overall assembly group, besides drawbacks in terms of cost.